Not So Tough
by Silawen
Summary: Sabu is definitely not the type for romantic Valentine's dates, so when he after five years finally agrees to go out on a date, Rob is more than surprised. Will it end in disaster? RVDSabu Slash.


**Author's Note:**

This is in-character, for the most part. I do not actually believe that Terry, in real life, is socially inept like this. chuckles So it's Sabu, not Terry. Also, the restaurant mentioned is real. However, I know very little about it and only chose it because it seemed like a fancy restaurant with food that both Sabu and Rob would like. All I was going by was the info on their site, an online recommendation, and two pictures. So my description is probably totally off.  
The title of the story was inspired by a song from Dutch singer Ilse de Lange.

It was rather refreshing, Rob decided, to see his partner in something other than his colourful ring-gear or those old and tattered shirts, most of which sported a very muscled Suicidal, Homicidal and Genocidal one. Not that Rob didn't appreciate them. He did, especially when they came off, but it wasn't often that he saw the man in anything that didn't cause people to do a double take. He wasn't vain, or embarrassed about the way Sabu looked, but there was something to be said about showing people what _he_ saw; that Sabu was dashingly handsome. Or something to that effect.

Rob leaned back, his head resting against the rough texture of cheap plaster, and looked at the mirror Sabu stood in front of. He could see the way the other man was fidgeting, fingers plucking in annoyance at his tie – perhaps due to nerves. Usually Rob would have teased him about it, but he didn't feel the urge; grateful as he was that after five years Sabu had finally agreed to that Valentine date Rob always suggested they go on. He'd agreed sooner than Rob had expected, really, his guess had been another three years and quite some begging.

Dark eyes stared at him in the mirror, and Rob smiled reassuringly, pushing off the wall to walk up to the mirror. He righted his own clothes, not very comfortable in them himself, before brushing a hand over the fancy suit Sabu had borrowed from someone. Rob wasn't sure who from, but he was convinced Sabu had to have gotten it from someone he didn't usually talk to; none of the ECW Originals were of the same height or build as he was, and the jacket fit perfectly. Definitely something he would have to ask about later.

"This thing itches," Sabu muttered, pulling at his tie again. Rob smirked, pushing Sabu's hands away and re-adjusting the yellow monstrosity of a tie the man had found in the bottom of his travel bag. With his choice of clothing it was a small miracle that he hadn't been busted breaking the WWE dress-code yet, though it could just be that people had noticed long ago but were too scared to talk to him about it. . Either way, Sabu's fashion sense left much to be desired. Not that Rob's was much better, but at least he wore up-to-date outfits, and not something from 1996.. He had worn an old Sabu shirt not too long ago, for old-times' sake, much like he used to, but that was it. Back in the day it had been one of his many ways to try and make Sabu realise where Rob stood. It had taken another five years for him to actually figure it out, though.

"That's probably because it was collecting dust and God-knows-what at the bottom of your bag," Rob commented, watching with amusement as Sabu glanced down at himself with trepidation. Rob still wasn't sure how he'd been able to convince the man, but he was glad. It was an unexpected look, but it definitely suited him, even if the yellow of the tie stood out too much against the dark blue of the coat. At least his jacket and pants matched, that was something most of the big guns at the WWE couldn't even manage.

A deep sigh and Sabu turned, raising an eyebrow as Rob checked his own clothes self-consciously. At least they were both uncomfortable with their attire, not really used to wearing expensive and somewhat stuffy suits. The ties were the worst, though, but if Sabu was going to wear one, then Rob wasn't going to remove his. They'd probably be ridiculously overdressed, wherever they were going, but Rob wasn't going to inform Sabu of this. Knowing him he'd growl in annoyance and refuse to leave the room, ruining the picture-perfect idea Rob had of their first real Valentine celebration.

"Arms still sore?" he asked as he watched Sabu stretch, the nod telling him enough. They'd taped ECW the night before, and both had left with painful muscles. Sabu especially, having fallen uncomfortably on one of their opponents due to a misplaced foot. The opponent's foot, so the painful huff when Sabu landed on him had been justified, but painful for his partner nonetheless. Luckily Sabu had gone through worse, and wouldn't bat an eye had Rob not explicably asked about it.

"I'll drive then, you just tell me where to go."

"Alright."

The fact that it had been almost half an hour, an hour if you counted the time Sabu had spent in the bathroom trying to put the suit on without ruining it, devoid of some sort of snarky insult told Rob that Sabu was nervous, or at least not totally happy with the situation. Not that he usually _was_ happy with whatever was going on, but this time it went further than Rob's snoring or run-down rentals breaking down. Rob's raised eyebrow only caused Sabu to glare, an expected result but reassuring nonetheless. He wasn't totally out of it, and at least the grouchiness was still there. Rob doubted Sabu could function if he wasn't grouchy, and a trip to the emergency room would really put a damper on Valentine's Day.

"You're not going to be sick, are you? Mood-swings and split personalities are pretty much a sign of brain-damage; I saw that on House not long ago."

"What the fuck is House?" Sabu asked, checking his wallet but keeping Rob from seeing what was inside. "And was that an insult or am I imagining it?"

"A TV-show, and...I guess so. Are you sure you're okay? You haven't glared at me for the supposed insult yet."

Of course for that he received a glare, but Rob couldn't laugh as he usually would have done. He felt increasingly guilty for putting Sabu through this, especially because it honestly wasn't about the dressing up, the fancy dinner, or the whole idea of Valentine's Day. It was more to see that they _could_ do normal things, and that Sabu cared enough to give it a go. Perhaps he should be insanely happy that he did and let him off the hook, but Rob wasn't sure whether or not Sabu would appreciate having gone through so much trouble – including arranging reservations at a restaurant and finding someone to borrow a suit from – only to find Rob offering not to go. Still, perhaps Sabu felt like he looked; uncomfortable with the whole idea of going to some posh restaurant – or whatever he had made reservations at – wearing things they'd never wear. Hell the last time Rob had worn a suit had been at Sabu's wedding. All this in an attempt to appear like regular couples; it was a bit silly.

He wondered for a second whether or not Sabu had noticed that it was actually the same suit, but he probably hadn't. There was some sort of terrible irony in the fact that that was the only suit Rob had bothered to pack, but it was also right, in a strange and morbid way.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to," Rob tried, but Sabu shook his head.

"No, we're going. I didn't go through all this to stay at the hotel. Besides, you wanted to do the whole Valentine's Day shit, so we're doing it. Just know that whatever goes wrong is your fucking fault."

Oh yeah, Sabu wasn't going to bow down. Rob should have figured, though he did feel flattered that Sabu would do something like this for him. He'd have to thank him in abundance later, now they had to hurry if they wanted to get there in time, especially because Rob had no idea where they were going and being told where to twist and turn always ended up taking a long time.

"Alright then," Rob murmured, leaning in to quickly brush his lips against Sabu's, a hand gently brushing through wet hair. Sabu had showered not too long ago, and even brushed his teeth with Rob's toothpaste – Rob hated the one Sabu used with a passion – allowing Rob to enjoy the minty taste of his own toothpaste and the scent of Sabu's shampoo. He smelled great, though he might be a little biased in that.

Rob figured he could start early with the whole thank-you, if he wanted, especially because he had the unrelenting urge to tear that ugly-ass tie off of his lover, cut it to pieces, and then burn it. He felt Sabu lean into him, could feel his body relax. Sabu had been lying, he _had_ been tense. Calling him a liar was like suicide, though, and right now Rob had no intentions of making his partner angry. He was rather enjoying himself, especially when Sabu untied Rob's rather hip tie and nipped at the exposed flesh with his teeth. Perhaps they shouldn't go out. This was fine.

"That's basically Vince's method too, you know," Rob mumbled incoherently, distracted by the sharp bites, not hard enough to leave a mark, but definitely noticeable to Rob's oversensitive nerves.

"What? He touches you like this? I'll put his old, wrinkled ass through a table."

"No." Rob chuckled. "I meant blaming everything on me."

"Well, you _are_ easily blamed. You piss people off too much."

"So do you. And I just speak my mind, there's nothing wrong with that."

"It's expected of me, Rob, I'm supposed to be a grouchy freak. You're a pretty babyface who should be on his knees begging for a push. It's different."

"It's fucked up."

It had been like that for a long time, even though Rob had always been grateful of the security and money. He liked the stability, knowing he could buy something without having to worry that the money he'd spent on it should have been used for something more pressing. He wasn't happy with everything that happened at the WWE, but then there had been things bothering him in ECW as well. Not as much, but there was bound to be something, wherever he went.

"Of course it is, but it's a messed up business. Now quit your petty-ass whining, it's very unattractive."

Rob chuckled, leaning into the other man for a moment before nodding and walking off to find his car keys. It seemed that their little discussion had calmed Sabu down a bit, though he was still staring at himself in the mirror. Rob should have taken pictures, show them to everyone, and claimed Sabu was a vain son of a bitch, which he could be in his own unique way, but not quite as obvious as being transfixed by his own reflection.

"Come on, charmer, let's go."

Sabu glared, but Rob hardly noticed. After years of being together, as a couple and as friends, there had been qualities in Sabu that he'd learned to ignore. The insistent glaring whenever someone said something, usually something Sabu didn't agree with, would never really disappear, though Rob had learned to see past it. The man said a whole lot of things with his glaring, other people just never realised.

"I look forward to having more than a soggy pizza," Rob said, commenting on what they'd eaten last year, while fixing his tie. Closing the door as they left the hotel room, he continued to talk about failed attempts at romance as they made for their rental. It was small-talk, mostly, Rob not wanting to give Sabu time to think. A thinking Sabu was a dangerous Sabu, and as long as he was replying sarcastically to whatever Rob said, then Rob knew he was safe. All Sabu did was grunt, though, plucking at his pockets. It was going to be a long night, Rob feared. He rolled his eyes, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't going to be another failure.

It was rather impressive to see the fancy restaurant Sabu had chosen. It looked very fancy from the outside, though Sabu had assured him that it wasn't too pricey. Much more expensive than they were used to, but not Hollywood movie type of prices where one meal could have bought them an airplane. Rob wasn't sure whether to be happy with that or be worried. It sure looked great, though.

The walk from the parking plot to the restaurant had been in silence, and now they were standing near the entrance Rob wished he'd thought of some more small-talk. However, Sabu had told him to 'fuck off' with his recounts of past Valentine's Days, so Rob had chosen silence instead. Somewhere along the line Sabu had taken the mentions of horrible food and even worse romance to be an attack on him, and he had hissed that he 'wasn't a fucking romantic' and had clamped down, not saying a word until Rob took a wrong turn.

Now they were standing in front of the restaurant – called Wild Ginger - nothing was said either, both just taking in all the people inside. The large windows allowed people to watch what was going on inside, but also gave the people inside the chance to check out those that were loitering outside. Rob could see some couples eye them before continuing their talk, though it didn't really unnerve him.

"Looks great. How did you know about this place?"

"I asked that Kendrick kid about it. That one from Smackdown. He's familiar with Seattle."

"Brian? Is he also the one you borrowed the suit from?"

"No, got that from someone else."

"Okay." Rob looked up at the restaurant, biting his lip nervously. This better go well. "You did make reservations, right?"

"Of course I did, I'm not a dumb fuck. You on the other hand showed the brain capacity of a dung beetle when you turned left after I clearly told you to go right."

"Ooh, dung beetle, that's a classic. Really, though, you were grumbling so much that I thought you were talking to yourself. You do that, you know."

"Only when I know that one of my other personalities is better conversation than the person I'm with."

"Ouch." Rob grinned, patting Sabu on the back before entering the restaurant, assuming he wouldn't stay standing there. They already looked like morons for hanging around outside like that, and he didn't want to give Sabu time to get into thinking-mode again.

He was immediately assaulted by a bubbly blonde asking him if he had made reservations, to which he nodded. Sabu appeared next to him, dark eyes glaring at the blonde as she tried smiling his way. Her smile faltered spectacularly, before she turned her brilliant white teeth on Rob again. He shrugged, returning the smile, before following her to an upstairs section of the establishment. He urged Sabu to follow them with a hand on the small of his back, occasionally prodding him when he stopped to glare at a decoration he thought was way too exuberant.

Eventually they were shown a table in the centre of the floor, three almost dead plants surrounding them but providing little privacy. Apparently Sabu's request of a sheltered spot had caused the staff to bring in some of the malnourished plants from the entrance. If Rob looked closely he could see the thickly layered dust cover the yellow leaves, it had been a long time since these things had been given any attention whatsoever. At least the thought had been there, though now they only stood out like a sore thumb.

The atmosphere was nice, though, definitely the classy and romantic setting they'd been promised. Couples were busy whispering to each other, arms brushing and fingers intertwining. It was cosy, and seemed like a great place. He could even see two men chatting away not far from them, leaving him hoping it would assure Sabu that there was nothing wrong with them being there. If anyone asked they'd say they'd been sent here by their boss, only true smart fans would know better and they would just assume that the close friends had been dumped by their wives or something of the kind.

"You okay?" he asked as he noticed his partner eye the set-up with distaste, arms crossed in front of him. Rob could see his eyes flash around, taking in all the people staring at them. The look on his face worried him, especially the sneer. It meant the entire evening was going to be filled with nasty comments, unless Sabu was going to relax, which he probably wasn't going to if this kept up. His lover just wasn't good at being one half of a couple during these things, because he was never sure what to do, what to say, and how to act like he was supposed to. That and he'd never quite managed to be a boyfriend, one who would do romantic things, or buy someone roses.

"I'm fine. Though if those people don't stop staring at me I'm going to throw a chair at them."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"Is that the reply I get? You _are_ uncomfortable, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm uncomfortable, you moron. You want me to be romantic, hold your hand and whisper sweet nothings in your ear, when I wouldn't even know where to start. And all in freaking public too."

"I don't want you to be like that, it's not necessary."

"Don't fucking lie, Rob, why else are we here?"

"I'm not lying! And I'll show you, too. Let's go."

"_Now_ what are you on about?"

"Let's go somewhere else, let's leave. You're uncomfortable, let's just go."

"There won't be anywhere to go, Rob. It's Valentine's Day. Every restaurant will be full."

"So what? It doesn't have to be a restaurant. I'm not hungry, and I know you aren't either. You've been throwing all sorts of snacks down your throat all day. We can just find a bar and spend Valentine's Day there."

"That wasn't the plan, Rob."

"Fuck the plan. Let's just go, Sabu."

Sabu's eyes were searching him, trying to find out what Rob was thinking. Then he nodded, and both men left, Rob stopping only to let the girl know they were leaving. The look on her face was priceless, not being used to people simply leaving like that. She tried asking Rob questions, wanting to find out what was the cause of this, but Rob excused himself, not looking to keep Sabu waiting. Once outside they walked down the street in silence, Rob occasionally peering at open bars, but ever time Sabu continued walking.

It took them ten minutes to get to a bar Sabu approved of, though it was small and strange looking, not really what Rob would have chosen.

"You really want to keep that whole freak image going, don't you? This place looks ancient."

"It'll be fine."

The fact that it was almost empty on a night like this spoke volumes about the atmosphere of the place, Rob decided, and he worried slightly about the people that _were_ inside enjoying a drink. Sabu looked happy with it, though, probably more because of the fact that it was close to empty than anything else. Not to say that the shady lighting and the impressive looking alcohol supply didn't add to that as well, but Rob was pretty sure it was mostly the lack of people that did the trick.

He looked at the man next to him; saw the hesitation as he looked down at his suit. It was really an awesome sight to see Sabu in a suit, and Rob wished he _had_ taken the time to get his camera and snap some pictures. Just the mere thought of Sabu willingly going through the fuss of this – even though they had end up leaving – and the way he looked all dressed up made Rob's stomach flutter. He'd never expected it to be like that, but he was glad that he had proven to be wrong.

Noticing Sabu about to walk in, he grabbed his arm and pulled him back, turning the man around and pressing him back. Eventually Sabu was backed up against a container, its aroma not particularly pleasing, but not strong enough to distract either of the two. One of Sabu's hands was on Rob's hip, pushing back, the other on his chest, also half-heartedly trying to get Rob to back off.

"What are you.." Sabu began, promptly cut off by Rob as he decided that a quick kiss wouldn't hurt. Rob could feel Sabu shudder, could feel the desire flush through him as he noticed the other man's eyes flutter shut. It was like a drug, the way his body reacted to Sabu, this delicious heating of his body. Most of the times it was even better than any drug and Rob was quite fit to judge.

They broke the kiss, but Rob kept pressing against Sabu, enjoying the way his partner felt against him, listening intently to his ragged breathing. He knew they could be found out, even in this dark little corner, but for now he didn't care. Then Sabu tensed, causing Rob to step back, a hand resting against the dumpster as he stayed as close as he could without actually touching him. If anyone asked, they were talking.

Rob could see Sabu glance over his shoulder, checking to see if anyone would notice what they were doing. Rob heard soft talking behind him, but he didn't move, grinning slyly at the glare on his lover's face. High heels clicked past, and once they were gone Rob saw the opening he needed, pressing into Sabu again and chuckling at the barely audible moan. He could see the concentration on Sabu's the face, the way he blinked in an attempt to focus. It almost amused him, this struggle to stay in control, though it hardly ever worked. Rob made sure of that.

Rob dipped his head, lips teasing Sabu's as he leaned in for a kiss. The kiss was brief, caring, then Rob stepped back, catching the annoyed expression on his partner's face.

"What was that for?"

He chuckled. "To thank you, of course."

"That was a horrible thank you; I expect a better one when we get back. _If_ we get back. Knowing you you'll pass out before that."

"Are you asking me to ravish you when we're back at the hotel?"

"No, I'm just asking you to perform adequately when I ravish _you_."

"Oooh, hot. I love it when you talk like that." Rob chuckled.

"Shut up, Rob, just get inside. I need a fucking drink."

The obvious smell of smoke assaulted them as they entered the bar, the air blue due to the excessive smoking of a group of men watching sports on a small TV. They all looked up, a few of them snickering – no doubt about their clothes – the rest returning their attention to the game. Rob followed Sabu to the bar, nodding to the only other occupant before waving over the bartender and ordering a beer. The bar was dirty, but Rob chose a clean-looking place to rest his elbows on. He couldn't see the TV-screen from where he was sitting, so didn't know what kind of sport they were watching, but he could swear it was something he didn't enjoy. He just had a hunch. It was probably figure skating, and the men were part of the figure skating appreciation society. Okay, so perhaps not, but Rob figured the thought was way more entertaining than the actual fact.

A man looked at the two of them, he saw in the mirror, the curious way he was regarding them somewhat unnerving. Instead Rob chose to focus on the bartender cleaning glasses before finally giving them the beers they'd been asking for. He murmured something Rob couldn't hear before disappearing to the back.

"Charming place," he muttered, but Sabu didn't seem to hear him. Rob shrugged, staring at the broken mirrors behind the bar, smiling at the unfamiliar reflection of him in a suit. That was amusing enough on its own, but having Sabu sit next to him all dressed up, well, he had to chuckle. Rob looked up as the bartender returned, not hiding the fact that he was drinking on the job.

"No luck with the ladies tonight, boys?" the bartender asked, giving the two of them a compassionate smile. Rob had to chuckle at the short expression of fear on the man's face when Sabu glared at him. The glare had lost its power over Rob in those years, but whenever he saw people flee in terror he couldn't help but laugh and remember the first time that glare had been directed at him. It had been only seconds after first meeting each other, elicited by a showy move Rob had tried, and Rob could still remember the way those haunting eyes had narrowed. It was a memory that had never left him, and he could still feel his hands shake as he envisioned what had happened. They had then, and they still did now.

The glare did what it was supposed to do this time, leaving the two of them on their own as the man hurried off and pestered other costumers instead. A very wise decision.

"You shouldn't have done that, I think he was about to offer us free drinks."

Somewhere at the back of his mind Rob acknowledged that they had come by car so drinking heavily wouldn't be the best idea, but it was a rental, so it would probably be towed back eventually. They'd grab a cab.

"We don't need free drinks," Sabu murmured, annoyance lacing his voice, "I brought enough money to pay for us at that fancy place, I'm sure I can afford _this_."

Rob squeezed Sabu's shoulder then let his arm drop again, not wanting to give people ideas. With their luck some fan would notice them and ask what the hell Rob was doing almost hugging his fellow Original like that. Now that would be an interesting explanation, especially with Sabu's habit of scaring the shit out of people if they annoyed him. He could just see the upset parents calling Vince, with all the annoying consequences that came with that. Though the question what their kids were doing walking around Seattle on Valentine's Day would be interesting in itself.

"And you said you weren't a romantic. You really wanted to pay for the both of us?"

Sabu snorted, no doubt rolling his eyes, though Rob couldn't see in the bad lighting. It was highly likely that was the case, though, because there had been few things that Rob had ever said that Sabu would not snort and roll his eyes at.

"Trust me, it's not because I wanted to. I hoped that if I did that you'd let me off the hook for another five years. I suck at the whole dating thing."

"No, you don't. The rest of the world just doesn't understand. I really appreciated tonight, Sabu, thank you."

"Who are you thanking? We were supposed to eat at that great restaurant, but my stupid ass got us here instead. We're drinking beer in some fucked up dump, no doubt ending with both of us too drunk to drive. This place stinks, and it was _not_ what you had in mind."

"Hey, this works," Rob whispered soothingly, "And I'm sure it'll be better the next time we go. Hell we can just try again next year."

All that resulted in was a loud groan and Sabu almost dropping his head on the bar in frustration, causing Rob to chuckle gleefully. Tonight hadn't really gone as planned, but it sure beat the soggy pizza, and at least he now knew that Sabu didn't mind making an effort. That didn't mean the effort would pay off, but the effort had been there. Now if only Sabu would burn that ugly tie…

Another beer and the two sat side by side, Rob occasionally smiling at Sabu in the mirror while Sabu stared at his drink. He was not uncomfortable anymore, though, and by the time he had taken off his jacket and thrown them on the bar, Rob knew he'd be fine. This was how their dates should be, though Rob would definitely give it another shot next year. It was silly, how Sabu figured they couldn't go out like a normal couple. Rob wasn't interested in changing his lover, only the way he saw himself. There was no reason to feel uncomfortable with who he was, because he had no one to impress. Still, for now this would do, and he simply enjoyed the easy silence.

"Sabu?"

A sigh. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Not that again! I told you, you shouldn't be thanking me!"

"Sabu…"

"You should be _angry_ with me!"

"Sabu!"

"What?!"

Rob smiled. "Shut up."

Sabu just glared, but Rob didn't care. Things were back to normal.

The End


End file.
